Oven chips given government go-ahead to use official healthy-eating logo

Supermarkets will be allowed to use logos from a government healthy-eating campaign to sell oven chips, mayonnaise and dairy spreads in return for more cash for the struggling campaign.



Change4Life was heavily affected by health secretary Andrew Lansley's decision to block nearly all spending on marketing. Website hits fell by two-thirds, while 90% fewer people joined the programme, which was designed to encourage healthier lifestyles through better eating and more exercise.

Previously only vegetables and fruit could be promoted by the Change4Life logos and its marketing messages. As part of the new deal, supermarkets and other food and drink companies involved will increase funding for the programme from £12m a year to £15m.



Fat and dairy spreads that can be endorsed must contain less than 41% fat. Only oven chips that contain less than 20g of fat and 5g of saturated fat per 100g can be promoted. Professor Tim Lang, a government adviser on obesity, said he feared Change4Life was now just providing cheap advertising for supermarkets.